Castro again low scorer for SHS girls golf team

KENNEWICK - Playing in a 3A Columbia Basin League match at the Tri-City Country Club in Kennewick yesterday, Vicky Castro again led Sunnyside's contingent of linksters.

Castro recorded a 114 on the relatively short and extremely tight, par-65 course. The next best finish by a Lady Grizzly golfer was 40-plus strokes back.

Although her score was well above that of top finishers Moni Graf (74) and Kaitlin Parsons (77), both of Eastmont, Castro showed marked improvement from her last competitive round a week ago. In that league match at Apple Tree Golf Course, Castro stumbled across the finish line with a 140.

"Even though it was only a par-65 course we played yesterday, Vicky's 114 was a great improvement from her last outing," said SHS Girls Golf Coach Gary Rohde. "She played much better."

Castro got around the front side with an uneventful 61 Monday afternoon. After the turn, however, the Sunnyside golfer shore up her game and posted a respectable 53.

Team-wise, Sunnyside brought up the rear at yesterday's seven-school league match, tallying 590 strokes. After Castro's 114, the Lady Grizzly linksters came in with a 157 from Emily Slinker, a 159 from Tonnelle Driesen and a 160 from Gabby Gutierrez.

Despite the high individual scores from Slinker, Driesen and Gutierrez, Rohde said all three girls are showing improvement, noting it's their first season ever on the links.

Winner of yesterday's league match was Eastmont with 333 team strokes. The Wildcats have won all four league competitions this season, with just one remaining-next Monday at the Wenatchee Country Club.

Graf's medalist round of 9-over-par 74 yesterday was three shots better than Parsons, her Eastmont teammate, and six strokes lower than that of the third best round on the day, an 80 from West Valley's Liz Tikriti.

West Valley finished second in the team points race yesterday with 344 strokes.

Southridge, led by Karissa Pizzarella with an 88, finished third in the team standings with a 379.

Kamiakin was fourth (416) and was led by Kelly Lokken with a 99. Hanford placed fifth with 457 team strokes, and the Falcons' low scorer was Michelle Bobbie with a 96. Kennewick, sixth in the team points race Monday with a 485, got a team low individual round of 106 from Emily Valerio.

The Sunnyside girls team is scheduled to host Grandview and Goldendale for a non-league match on its home Black Rock Creek course this coming Thursday.